woo 



about 700 acres, of which above one-half, liowever, lie on 

 the oppofite bank of the Thames, in the county of Eflex, 

 and confifts of mar(h-land, on which flood formerly a 

 few houfes, and a chapel of eafe. The manor of Woolwich 

 is fubordinate to the royal manor of Eltham. The town 

 conlilts chiefly of one narrow irregular ftreet, confined be- 

 tween therifing land and the river; birt feveral other llreets, 

 rows, and lanes, are connefted with it. The church, a f pacious 

 brick building, confifts of a nave, chancel, and aides. It 

 is fituated on an eminence overlooking the town and the 

 dock-yard, and was completed in 1740. Befides this building, 

 Woolwich contains feveral different diflentingmeeting-houfes. 

 The principal charitable eflabhfhments are an alms-houfe 

 and two fchools. Woolwich was originally but a fmall 

 place, inhabited by fifhermen, and is indebted for its im- 

 portance to the eflablifhment of a royal dock there in the 

 Ireign of Henry VIII. Since that time, it has gradually 

 arrived at its prefent augmented ftate ; but particularly 

 fince the eftablifhment there of the head-quarters of the 

 ■artillery and the royal arfenal ; by which means the popu- 

 lation within the laft hundred years has increafed fix-fold. 

 The precife period of the eftablifhment of the dock-yard 

 ■is uncertain : it appears, however, that the Harry Grace 

 de Dieu, of 1000 tons, was built there in 1512. This 

 celebrated fhip is ftated to have been in length 128 feet, 

 and in breadth 48 feet : fhe had three flufh decks, a fore- 

 ;:aftle, half-deck, quarter-deck, and round-houfe, and car- 

 ried 176 pieces of ordnance: fhe had eleven anchors, the 

 jlargeft of which weighed 440olbs. In its prefent enlarged 

 illate, the yard extends about five furlongs along the river 

 ioy one furlong in breadth. It comprehends two dry 

 (docks, feveral flips, three maft-ponds, a fmith's-fhop and 

 \orges for making anchors, a model-loft, ftore-houfes, fheds, 

 dwellings for various officers, and all other requifite build- 

 ings. The whole is under the immediate infpedion of the 

 navy board, but condufted by feveral refident officers. 

 The number of artificers and labourers employed during 

 'peace is about 1 500 ; but in war-time it rifes towards 4000. 

 'Between the dock-yard and the royal arfenal, formerly 

 icalled the Warren, is the rope-walk, 400 yards in length. 

 The military and civil branches of the office of ordnance 

 ihave been eftablifhed at Woolwich fince the accefTion of 

 George I. In the time of peace, this arfenal is the great 

 'repofitory of naval ordnance, where the guns of moft of the 

 [(hips of war are laid up there in order. The repofitory con- 

 'tains alfo an extenfive coUeftion of military machines and 

 'models. The arfenal, comprehending about fixty acres of 

 iground, contains, with other buildings, the foundery, and 

 'the late military academy, which was erefted by fir John 

 'Vanbrugh. The foundery is provided with feveral furnaces, 

 'the largeft of which will melt about feventeen tons of metal 

 |at once. It contains alfo machinery for boring brafs 

 cannon, as they are improperly called, for they are com- 

 ipofed of copper and tin inftead of zinc. In the adjoining 

 ilaboratory, bombs, carcafes, cartridges, &c. for the navy 

 'and army, are prepared. The number of perfons employed 

 |in the arfenal during war is about 300, exclufive of the 

 convifts belonging to the hulks or prifon-fhips lying in 

 the river. The military academy, although founded in 

 1719, was not finally arranged till 1741, and has been for- 

 [tunate in poflelfing, in the mathematical chairs, the eminent 

 IprofefTors Derham, Simpfon, and Hutton. Befides the ma- 

 [thematical profeffors, here are matters in chemiftry, fortifica- 

 jtion, arithmetic, French, drawing, fencing, &c. The number 

 of pupils or cadets, deftined for the two corps of artillery and 

 iroyal engineers, has been lately about 300. To provide necef- 

 |fary accommodation, with offices, &c. a new edifice was con- 



i 



WOO 



ftruded and opened in 1806, about a mile S. fro.-n the town, 

 on the upper part of the common. It is built in the caitel- 

 bted form, from defigns by Mr. James Wyatt. The prin. 

 cipal front facmg the N. extends above 200 yards. The 

 expence of the ftrufture is eftimated at not lefs than 

 150,000/. The eftablifhment is appropriated to the fenior 

 clafs of the cadets, the junior being for the prefent fixed at 

 Black-Water in Hampfhire. Between this new academy 

 and the town are extenfive ranges of barracks, &c. for the 

 royal artillery, horfe and foot, which has increafed during 

 the late war beyond all former example. 



The population of Woolwich, in the return of 1800, was 

 ftated at 9826, exclufive of the military, inhabiting 1362 

 houfes ; but the number was probably under-rated ; for in 

 the return of 181 1, the inhabitants are ftated to be 17,054, 

 and the houfes 2487. Woolwich-common unites with the 

 extenfive plain of Blackheath on the S., which gives name 

 to the hundred. At its eaftern extremity rifes Shooter's- 

 hill, which commands extenfive and interefting profpefts in 

 all direftions. The view from it of London, the Thames, 

 and the fhipping, is pecuharly impreffive. Over this hill 

 paffed the great Roman road from the E. coaft of Kent, 

 through Durovernum, now Canterbury, and Durobrtva, Ro- 

 chefter, to London. Its courfe is nearly purfued by the 

 prefent road from Shooter's-hill, for eight miles, to a place 

 beyond Dartford — Beauties of England, Kent, by E. W. 

 Brayley, 8vo. 1806. 



Woolwich, a townftiip of New Jerfey, in the county 

 of Gloucefter, with 3063 inhabitants; 10 miles S.E. of 

 Philadelphia — Alfo, a townftiip of the province of Maine, 

 containing 1050 inhabitants, on the E. fide of the Kenne- 

 beck ; 16 miles N.E. of Brunfwick. 



WOOL-WINDERS are perfons employed in winding 

 up fleeces or wool into bundles to be packed, and fold by 

 weight. Perfons winding and felhng deceitful wool, (hall 

 forfeit for every fleece 6d. Thefe are fworn to do it truly 

 between the owner and the merchant. 8 Hen. VI. cap. 22. 

 23 Hen. VIII. cap. 17. 



WOORLA, in Geography, a town of Hindooftan, in 

 Vifiapour ; 16 miles N. of Merritch. 



WOOTAMALLY, a town of Hindooftan, in Madura ; 

 15 miles S.W. of Coilpetta. 



WOOTTON, JoHK, in Biography, an eminent, though 

 not very able, painter of landfcape and animals, who 

 flouriflied in England about 1720. He was a pupil of 

 John Wyck, and was much employed in the portraits of 

 horfes and dogs, and in painting the fports of the field, 

 particularly fox-hunting ; upon which fubjeft there are 

 feven piftures of his engraved by Canot. Once at leaft he 

 attempted (but he did not frequently repeat the attempt) 

 to pourtray a battle, and his fubjeft was that of Culloden at 

 the time of the rout of the rebel army. It has been en- 

 graved by Baron, though it is but an indifferent performance. 

 He died in 1765. He had been fuccefsful in the purfuit 

 of his art, for he was enabled by its proceeds to build a 

 houfe in Cavendifh-fquare, where he lived, and had painted 

 it witii tafte, according to Walpole, who praifes his works 

 ridiculoufly. His pieces, he fays, were high, forty guineas 

 for a fingle horfe the fize of life, and twenty if fmaller. 



WOOTTON-BASSET, in Geography, a borough and 

 market-town of Wiltftiire, England, is fituated near the 

 northern extremity of the county, at the diftance of 36 

 miles N. by W. from Sahlbury, and 89 miles W. from 

 London. It confifts chiefly of one principal ftreet, about 

 half a mile in length. The houfes are moflly conttrufted 

 of brick with thatched roofs. Two reprefentatives have 

 been regularly deputed from this town to ferve id parlia- 

 ment 



